Abetta: not my cup of tea. I prefer Big Horn. Better quality lightweight synthetic saddle.
Flex Tree: love it.
How about a Big Horn Flex Tree...
I have one. New boy is very happy with it, fits him like a glove.

Hmm, thing is, getting one in Oz for a reasonable price... I know Abetta ones come up over here reasonably frequently. Why aren't they your cup of tea? What particularly don't you like about them? I also can't afford a really good custom made job - we have some great saddlers over here if I could - so thinking flex tree might be the way to go, but don't have any experience with them. Pros & cons??

gimmick,
Think about it, what happens when you sit on a flex tree ? IT flexes out to its wider flex. Whats the difference between a flexed out and a tree that is that wide to begin with ?
ORrrrrrr it is stiffer and you sit on it and it does nothing. So then whats the difference between it and a tree the same as it in its unflexed state ?
I imagine if you put someone on it that just so happens to be the exact perfect weight to allow a small amount of flex without maxing it out you may gain some kinda advantage. Would be pretty insignificant. A flex tree saddle isnt gonna be some magic fit wand, Saddle is still gonna fit or not fit. no more likely than a traditional tree.
Saying that it does seem that people that have Abetta's do like them. I wouldnt spend a ton on one and if you like it and it fits go for it. But dont buy it think because "flex" is in the name it will fit any horse you put it on.

Thanks Joe, yes I appreciate it's not a magic bullet & also do have a similar idea about it to what you described actually. But I do think a saddle with a bit of 'give' can be a good thing, depending... But I don't have any personal experience with flexible trees, only treeless, which I don't believe would be good for us. They're no magic bullet either...

I've got an Abetta we use for our pony mustang, who is ridden at most 1-2 times/month. The gals who ride with it like it. It is a bit small for me, but I may try riding Cowboy with it sometime. For the price ($365), I'd say it is an excellent saddle. The fenders and stirrups strike me as kind of cheaply made, but they could be replaced easily enough. It is light, and seems comfortable. The male in me appreciates it's relatively level seat, versus the kind that rise up sharply in front. The construction of the saddle seems very good overall.

I've never bought from the saddle shop I'm linking to below, but it is a good, brief review of flex saddles.

"If you have a bad fit to begin with, the flexible bars may make the fit tolerable, but by no means comfortable for the horse. If you have a good fit to begin with, the flexibility will allow the horse to work with the saddle, giving him more freedom of movement in the shoulders."

I was assuming the saddle would fit very well to begin with
Like STG said, that added little extra comfort for the horse.
As for why I don't favor Abetta ....just looks " hi-tech" and "artificial" to me. Big Horns look more like "real" saddles....if y'all know what I mean. But seriously, as for seat and fit. It fits a great variety of horses, I like the deep, straight seat, it feels like you sit "in" the horse, rather than on top of it.

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